The Vampire Job
by krystal214
Summary: Leverage Team helps Sophie's old friend find someone who goes missing from the True Blood universe season3 . Obviously AU,but as in character as possible. Please review!
1. A Mystery Friend

*********************** The Vampire Job ***************************

*********************** Chapter 1 ****************************

"Hello darling. It's been far too long… Oh my! ... Well, that's really not the kind of thing we usually do, but… I think we can help with that. You must know there isn't much I wouldn't do for you, dear…but I do have to speak to my team first… Yes, I'll let you know soon… It is good to hear from you too, dear… Yes, I have missed you as well," Sophie said, hanging up her phone. Although she knew differently, she pretended not to notice the group listening intently to her side of the enigmatic conversation.

The Grifter walked back to the couch to rejoin her inquisitive looking team. Barely contained confusion had all of their eyebrows already raised regarding her odd phone call, as it had interrupted their end of the job wrap-up meeting. That was rather unorthodox by itself since Sophie was all for the adherence of team protocol. Having a friendly phone call preoccupy her from her professional obligations was cause for speculation on its own.

At first glance she was simply a woman speaking to an old friend. But to her team that knew her well also knew that Sophie did not really have any old friends besides Nate. It stood to reason that she had just spoken to someone that she actually did consider a real friend, and not a potential mark of some kind. Their curiosity already peaked at the prospect of a glimpse into the real Sophie, the fact that there was some sort of business proposition involved caused everyone to practically jump in their seats from the anticipation of her big reveal.

"So, anyone up for a little trip to Louisiana?" Sophie asked the group nonchalantly, her accent adding to the strangeness of the question. It was hard to imagine Sophie on the bayou with one of her designer dresses and large hats, perhaps on a fan boat in some back woods swamp chasing a bad guy through crocodile infested water.

Lost in their own individual imaginations, stuck on several tangents involving potentially hilarious scenarios with Sophie and her sometimes pretentious behavior in one of the very non-pretentious places found in most of Louisiana, they barely had time to register Sophie's knowing grin. She knew they were in even if they didn't realize it yet.

Sophie sat back, amused, allowing an expected level of comedic conjecture to fill their minds. The group began talking about their ideas regarding Sophie's Louisiana friend, joking about how fun it would be to see her pull off a con doing a down home Southern accent. They wondered how she knew someone from Louisiana in the first place, and how they came to such an affiliation in the first place. Grifters weren't known to make and keep real friends after all.

All of their assumptions of the strange job that lay ahead were amplified by Sophie's next mysterious statement. "Before I explain anything else, please tell me what you all know about vampires?"


	2. The Friendly Meet and Greet

******************** The Vampire Job ***********************

********************* Chapter 2 **********************

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Sookie. I'm sure your great interest in finding your missing boyfriend prompted your punctuality, but I appreciate it nevertheless." Eric Northman shamelessly leered at the small blonde woman brimming with anxiety, patting the seat next to his throne in invitation.

Instead of retorting with a quick-witted comment that would only have served to heighten the playful and flirtatious banter between Sookie and Eric, she uncharacteristically bit her tongue. Even if she didn't understand his reasoning, Sookie was well aware that the Sheriff of Area 5 was reluctant to help with the Bill situation in the first place. Despite it falling to him as a job requirement, Eric Northman seemed supremely pleased with having Bill Compton out of his well-coifed arctic blonde hair for a while.

"We will be meeting with an old friend of Pam's in an effort to have Bill located and returned to you without alerting too many other potentially interested parties of his missing status. Those involved feel it is in everyone's best interest to mitigate the damage done from Bill's misdeeds by involving a third party that will not cause backlash between the states. We will discuss this more once the group has arrived, but I thought you would want to be here to add your unique insight into the matter."

While Sookie found it completely ordinary for Eric to include her in business dealings, anyone who knew the 1,000 year old vampire would have been immediately clued into his special consideration for the intriguing human woman. Vampires did not typically concern themselves with the affairs of common humans, but anyone who knew Sookie would have also been aware of the fact that she was no ordinary human.

She was, in fact, a telepath. Though she would tell any inquiring minds that she was nothing more than a waitress from a small town, not having realized yet that too many powerful beings had shown interest in her for that to be the sole and express truth. There was much more in play with the young blonde barmaid than would originally meet the eye, an aspect which had certainly not escaped the former Viking staring at her affectionately… and kind of like dinner.

Sookie's vampire boyfriend, Bill Compton, had disappeared shortly after the trio, which included Eric, returned from a search and rescue mission to locate Godric, Eric's Maker, in Dallas. While that trip was horrifically eventful in its own right, the Maenad that invaded the waitress' home while she was out of town certainly dampened her homecoming.

The mythical creature was dealt with accordingly, but that did not stop the fool Bill Compton truly was from proposing to Sookie at an ill-advised time and location, a decision which created the opportunity for him to be vampire-napped by some Mississippi were-wolves.

After the wolves attacked Sookie in her home, Eric set out to ensure the safety of his self-proclaimed future lover by finding Compton; a sign of goodwill towards the telepath. While Eric Northman was not generally so chivalrous, a wealth of information concerning the telepath's suitor had presented itself while the Sherriff was visiting his Emissary.

As it turned out, Compton's relationship with Sookie had been predicated on the direct order from the Queen of Louisiana in an attempt to be the sole beneficiary of her telepathic abilities. Eric planned to reveal his knowledge in a way that would have Sookie align herself with him and ditch the waste of magic used to animate the pathetic vampire that was Bill Compton.

"What do you know about these people? Can they be trusted? I hope you're not forcing them to do this because I know better than most how tricky you could be. We don't need any resentful people with a grudge against you getting involved." She questioned the devious vampire, her last statement a hinting indication of their strange dynamic. She had fallen victim to his deception in Dallas, a trick which allowed her to ingest his blood under false pretenses. This was an act he was proud of for many reasons, but one she felt only foolish over.

A knowing smirk graced his handsome face before he replied, "I know only a few details of the other members of their group, simply that they have certain specialties that make them ideal candidates for this assignment. Though, I can begrudgingly say that Pam has been friends with one of them for quite a longtime. I have met her before myself, and while she is clever and adept with her work I am not particularly fond of her. She is quite a bad influence on Pam."

"Wow, it is hard to imagine Pam having a girl for a friend in that capacity, much less one that would paint Pam as the lesser trouble-maker. Anyway, I really do appreciate you calling in these specialists to find Bill. I miss him so much and I'm so worried about him and…Well, thank you, Eric. I don't... I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't…" Sookie trailed off a little to prevent the tears that Eric detested so much from falling from her bleary eyes. They did have a meeting to attend after all. Sookie knew she needed to have her wits about her - for Bill's sake.

As Sookie composed herself, Eric sat back a bit, content and amused that she was becoming increasingly more at ease with him after each metaphoric and literal bullet he took for her. The bar was not open yet, so his mysterious, detached persona which entertained all of Fangtasia's patrons was not necessary. There was certainly no need for that kind of presentation with Sookie, as she had already seen the Sheriff at his absolute worst and most vulnerable.

While Eric and Sookie enjoyed an almost pleasant and casual conversation while they awaited the arrival of the group, Pam emerged from the office suddenly. Looking almost happy with anticipation at seeing her old friend again, she approached her Maker and took a seat to his left, beaming in a way that made Sookie uncomfortable just from the novelty of the honest emotive gesture.

A moment after Pam eagerly began to regale her companions in a story about her adventures with her old friend, the doors opened to reveal the three men which comprised the band of specialists who were to find Bill. Sookie noticed that the stone-cold vampire personas were now fully engaged, making them look dangerous and beautiful to the strangers apprehensively approaching.

Their behavior was not an act, however. They were stunning as they were deadly, but what Sookie knew that most did not was that there was so much more to them than that. Eric could feel much more than he let on, and Pam was quite funny. Sookie truly never noticed it in their previous interactions, but the beautiful vampire duo was more at ease with her than anyone else. In truth, that was as factual for her as it was for them. Her "disability" made being around vampires an ironic source of comfort, creating a sense of peace not usually accompanied by the presence of potential killers. The fact that they shared this secret reciprocal relationship was remarkably endearing (and a just little scary) to the telepath.

The Leverage team approached the group of beautiful blondes on the dais cautiously. Sophie had meticulously gone over the finer points of vampire formalities on the plane ride to Louisiana, prepping the team for what they would encounter at Fangtasia. The instructions and explanations did little to prepare the team for the aura of power around the stage. Instantly awestruck by the presence of the huge blonde vampire book-ended by his pretty female companions, Nate and the male portion of his team remained silent, waiting for Sophie to act as an intermediary.

Hardison looked at Nate in question, unsure of whether or not to make the first move and accept one of the proffered seats in front of them. There were five seats positioned expectantly on what was normally a dance floor in front of the trio on the stage. While Nate didn't particularly like the power play in the diminutive arrangement of their seats, they were doing this strange job as a favor to Sophie and were expected to be civil in this situation. He returned Hardison's questioning look with one of indifference, knowing Eliot wouldn't be the one to broach that ground unless so me one else did it first.

Pam, appearing supremely disappointed that her friend wasn't amongst the new arrivals, spoke in frustration in what sounded like an ancient language to the stoic looking Sheriff. Pam's disgruntled appearance rearranged quickly, the sound of the door opening again serving as the catalyst. Sophie walked in the door with a flourish, greeting her old friend like they hadn't seen each other in decades. While they didn't touch with more than polite kisses on each cheek, you could see the radiating friendliness between the two fashionable British women, each group secretly knowing their English lady was squealing like a sorority girl on the inside.

Before the statuesque vampire was given a chance to speak to the others, Sophie interjected, "Pam, darling, it is wonderful to see you… and Eric too, of course. No need to worry Mister Northman, I promise your Child and I will behave much better than that time in Paris. I am sorry about what happened to your… On second thought, let's not rehash ancient history."

The slight agitation of the powerful vampire was missed by no one in the room, his jaw clenching tightly as Pam and Sophie giggled knowingly at their inside joke. He spoke in a slightly accented, resonating voice which indicated his frustration to those who knew him best. "It was Venice actually, Miss… whatever you go by these days. Please make the necessary introductions. I do have other matters which require my attention this evening." He finished his dismissive statement of Sophie with a suggestive look to the blonde woman sitting to his right, a look Sookie found quite inappropriate.

To his tremendous surprise, Eliot noticed the girl's eye roll at the vampire's lascivious proposition. This action confused the Hitter who had been told of the Sherriff's impressive sexual reputation, expecting this woman to be no different by his initial estimation of her. Having assumed the pretty human woman was there as the vampire's property, Eliot had purposely tried to avoid looking at her. His re-assessment and resulting appraisal of the small blonde woman was immediately met by her widened eyes fixedly attaching to his lusty gaze. It was as if she knew he suddenly established her as a potential candidate to spend some quality time with him in his bed. Watching his human companion's reaction, the menacing vampire in charge glared at the Hitter with distaste, turning his nose in disgust as if Eliot smelled like some kind of wild animal.

"It's Sophie Devereaux these days actually, Eric. This is Nate Ford, he is the mastermind behind our escapades. Alec Hardison handles our tech. Parker, who is very good at acquiring things, was a little too nervous to come to meet you in person despite my insistence that you would be on your most professional behavior. I was hoping for that anyway, but with the look you just gave Eliot Spencer, our retrieval specialist, a moment ago I think I may have been a bit presumptuous. He was merely assessing the room, Eric, not eyeing up your lady. No need to make space for him in the dungeon."

With that comment about the basement, Eliot looked tensely guarded, as if preparing for a fight he knew he couldn't win but still wouldn't stop from trying. Eric saw this as an opportunity to steal the reigns back from the Grifter and steer the rest of the meeting as the dominant figure. "Thank you… Sophie. My name is Eric Northman. I am Sherriff of Area 5 here in Louisiana and this is my bar. If Sophie is anything like I remember, I am sure she has already told you much about my Child, Pam. This delightful woman is Sookie Stackhouse. She is in need of your services to find her… _friend_ who seems to have become misplaced in the Jackson, Mississippi area."

Eric gestured to Sookie, who had already leapt out of her seat to shake hands in sincere gratitude of all those present who would be searching for Bill. Hardison barely noticed her extended hand, already busying himself with setting up his laptop for Parker to attend their meeting via a web link from an undisclosed location. The entire team had agreed on the ride to Fangtasia that Parker's behavior was odd even for her, but they were completely aghast by the Thief's squeal of excitement when Sookie walked closer to the web cam.

Parker abruptly blurted, "I like her hair, it looks like mine. I bet it smells yummy too, like coconuts and honey. Quick, somebody smell her for me!"

It wasn't much of a movement, but Eliot noticed the way both vampires simultaneously stiffened at his strange friend's comment. With a conspiratorial look, Eliot couldn't help but think they were filing that away as something to discuss the peculiarity of later. What he did not know was that Sookie did indeed smell like honey and delicious tropical fruits to them, something the blonde woman on the computer screen should not have been able to discern over the internet.

Hardison cleared his throat and quickly interrupted the seemingly nonsensical chatter coming from the Thief before she said something odd that would get those brave enough attend the meeting in the flesh killed. "Ahh, Parker, we aren't on comms. She can hear you. We _all_ can hear you."

Parker paid him no mind, obviously bouncing in her seat at the sight of the other blonde woman who for some reason looked equally excited, albeit a bit surprised. The women both greeted their respective monitors in such a friendly way that it seemed to everyone present like they just witnessed the first ever cyber-hug. Hardison told Parker they would fill her in later, fearing the reaction the vampires might have to one of Parker's accidental insults. He didn't even wait for a reply before he slammed the laptop firmly shut, sparing an apologetic look for Sookie due to his haste.

Nonplussed by Hardison, returning his look of contrition with a sweet smile, Sookie spoke kindly to the group. "Thank you all so much. Bill Compton, my boyfriend, mysteriously disappeared recently and since then I have been attacked several times by… ahh… um," trailing off, Sookie looked over her should to Eric.

He appeared thoughtful as he regarded the group in front of him. This left Sookie frightened that he was going to be difficult, unwilling to share the information they had which would only serve to prolong Bill's absence. She immediately returned to her seat next to the vampire, silently imploring him, looking to Eric for some sort of silent approval.

With the smallest nod of acquiescence, she finally managed to speak the next word that had been hesitant to leave her mouth without permission. "…werewolves," she revealed so softly it came out as a breathy whisper. The volume of the word did nothing to impair the impact, as everyone except Hardison exasperated in aggravation. The Hacker seemed too stunned to move a muscle from the contorted way his face had frozen at the realization that there was much in this world of which he was unaware. His team on the other hand had gasped for other reasons altogether, each one harboring a supernatural secret that they feared would finally be exposed.

Sookie looked forlorn as she remembered the last incident where she had accidentally shot Eric in place of the Were who had been unwilling to give up his information. The memory of her fear and her overwhelming guilt from the friendly fire resulted in her practically nestling into the chest of the imposing vampire Sherriff next to her, much to his own surprise and amusement. Hardison wondered what was wrong with this girl that she could find solace in the arms of the cold-blooded killer, holding onto him like she was fastening herself into a seat belt.

Everyone sat in silence, digesting the new twist on this strange case Sophie had insisted they take. Despite their mounting questions, they were fine with waiting until Sookie composed herself in fear that continuing before she was more under control would result in another outburst of tears, an emotional display which made more than just the vampires uncomfortable. The fragile woman finally began to calm herself, her vampire associate gently assisting her return to reason by rubbing small circles down her arms and back.

With a jolt, Sookie screamed out suddenly, "Eric's not forcing me... It just isn't like that at all. You don't know anything about me… or him." Realizing a moment too late that no one said anything out loud, she lifted her head from the Viking's shoulder and was met with the confused stares of her new acquaintances.

Eric growled in the direction Sookie glanced when her head shot up like lightning struck in the room. "No explanation is owed to any of you regarding our _arrangement_. You need not consider anything other than Sookie is a very valuable… employee. She too has an extremely specialized skill set that makes her very effective and highly coveted… among other things." The Sheriff finished addressing the group before singling out Eliot directly with a threatening scowl.

"You are here to do a job and that is all. Mind your manners and your thoughts or you will be given the grand tour of my bar, most notably, the basement. Are we clear, _Cubby_?" the angry vampire asked Eliot pointedly, the Hitter shirking at the nickname. Hardison couldn't help but notice that there was an underlying element in the taunt, as if the Viking knew a secret Eliot was reluctant to have revealed. If that hadn't confused him already, Sookie then looked at the aggravated Hitter in quick appraisal, stating 'oh' quietly under her breath in some kind of unspoken understanding.

Nate, seeing how things could spiral out of control form her, interrupted the stare-down. "There is no need for any of that, Mr. Northman. I'm not sure what is happening here, but we will make this arrangement work: vampires, werewolves, humans and all," Nate said, hoping to ease the tension by refocusing the attention back to the task at hand. He continued, "We need whatever information you have that might be helpful or pertinent and anything _else_ we should know that might be useful." Nate finished his statement with a glance at Sookie, who had just revealed some latent ability. It was obvious to the Mastermind that no one other than blonde trio on the dais knew what that talent was exactly.

"I'm sorry. Excuse me, we should have told you that I'm a…" Before Sookie finished her sentence, Eric had his massive hand on her shoulder. His fangs showing slightly from underneath his lip due to the frustrating turn of events, Sookie and Eric engaged in communication with only their eyes and body language, both of which looked heated. Hardison's apprehension with working for a fanged client was becoming even more substantial, his hands shaking as he busied himself with his phone in an effort to ease his nerves.

In a growl which could barely pass for words, Eric grumbled, "All you need to know at this time is in these files and that Sookie is… special. Her safety is an important concern that needs to be addressed. I intend to have a trustworthy Were-wolf that owes me a favor watch her during the day, but extra protection is essential since the threat against her has… heightened abilities, Mr. Ford."

"I think Eliot could help out with that Mr. Northman, but you must understand that this whole situation is highly unusual for us. I believe a very brief adjustment period is necessary to acclimate to the uniqueness of these circumstances. I'm sure Sophie and Pam would like to catch up and a more private conversation will be beneficial between just the two of us, so if it is okay with everyone else I would like Parker, Hardison, and Eliot to accompany Ms. Stackhouse to our hotel. With her home's safety having been badly compromised by the sound of things, I believe we could look after her best there. I will just need to make a quick call to change the room reservations and…"

"Nonsense Mr. Ford, Sookie can use Sophie's room so Ms. Deveraux can stay with me," Pam said, surprising everyone at her sudden enthusiasm for a houseguest. She had been uncharacteristically quiet while observing the group dynamic before walking over to Sophie and placing a firm hand on her shoulder, pressing her body into the other woman's back. Eliot raised his eyebrow at whatever this kind of suggestive posturing was supposed to imply because Nate also looked amazingly ruffled, yet intrigued by the interaction.

"Well, that sounds lovely, Ms. Swinford de Beauford. I would love to catch up… reminisce about old times maybe," Sophie teased. Eric's rumbled displeasure at Sophie's comment caused both girls to giggle from a still enigmatic memory that they all seemed to share. Whatever the two British women kept hinting at had everyone not in the loop wondering about the perplexing origin of the elder vampire's discomfort, his irritation and their levity somewhat scandalous.

"Wait," Sookie said quickly, "I understand that I can't go home since an entire gang of angry Weres are…"

"Wolves," Eliot interrupted, "Wolves. Were-wolves. You can't lump all Weres in with those filthy mongrels."

"You're right," Sookie admitted with an apologetic for Eliot which confused Hardison. "I know there are a bunch of these biker Were-wolves after me, but I didn't bring any overnight clothes or anything to stay in some hotel for who knows how long before going home again."

Pam frowned at the potential derailment of her plans of entertaining her old friend in her home. Ever resourceful, she retorted promptly, "Don't worry, Cupcake. Since you so frequently end up in here naked or in desperate need of clothing that isn't ruined with blood from either yourself or some other mythical creature, we started keeping an assortment in your size. I enjoyed shopping for you immensely, especially the delicates."

"Thanks, I guess," Sookie said before coming out of her daze. "And don't make it sound like I'm running around Fangtasia nude all the time, Pam. Twice that happened. Once because you wouldn't let me leave in my Longshadow-covered dress and then after the Maenad clawed my shirt to shreds. It's not my fault and I don't particularly care for your insinuation that I'm some kind of crazy nudist…" Sookie didn't get a chance to finish her ramblings before Eliot's light chuckle caught the negative attention of the Viking once again.

Eric spoke over the now barely audible, mumbling Sookie. "Indeed, Mr. Ford. There is much to discuss regarding the more sensitive matters in play. Your group, however, needs to fully understand the gravity of the situation with these particular were-wolves. They are addicted to vampire blood, and as such are extremely aggressive and unusually strong. If something was to happen during the day, silver bullets will work, but apparently they're fairly hard to hit… trust me…"

Everyone noticed the way the Sheriff smiled ruefully at Sookie, who let out a strangled groan. "Come on, Eric, I said I was sorry. You know I didn't mean to shoot you. And if you hadn't interfered in the first place we wouldn't have had nearly as much clean-up," Sookie said defiantly before muttering, "I swear Gran's rug is made up of more blood now than fibers."

Eliot, who had been smirking from the moment the small blonde woman had admitted to accidentally shooting the huge vampire, was now directly falling under said vampire's intense scrutiny. The Hitter's actions thus far had only served to further irritate the powerful Viking in regards to the retrieval specialist being anywhere near Sookie, or in his bar for that matter, simply on principle. Wanting to test him, Eric challenged Eliot. "She was ambushed in her home by a strung out Were-wolf looking to kill her. She shot me, but I still managed to subdue the dog. Do you think you can you handle that… Cubby?"

The tall blonde vampire stood to his imposing height, exuding his natural dominance wordlessly. Eliot, who was not one to back down, also stood. And though Sophie warned against this tactic, he proceeded to stare the vampire directly in the eyes. "Good, I can see that we understand each other. Beyond guarding Sookie with your life, you are to keep your grubby paws off of her. Are we understood… Cubby?" The vampire Sherriff finished enchanting the Hitter with a smug look to which Eliot grunted and turned to leave, livid over what just happened, having lost his control to Eric's glamour.

"Eric, that was just rude! He couldn't help himself before and you wouldn't let me tell them about my… disability. What do you expect to keep happening? This is how things are for me around people with a pulse. Get used to it. Besides, glamour is no way to start a partnership of any kind," Sookie chastised the vampire quietly before rushing out the door in the direction of the disgruntled stranger she just met, but felt nonetheless responsible for upsetting indirectly.

Sookie ran outside to find the angry man pacing in frustration near her beater car. "What the hell was that about?" he asked her before turning to face the other direction, hating his vulnerability. As he turned around he saw she had extended her hand, as if she was going to touch his back in a comforting gesture. He jumped away in surprise, and the effect of the glamour warding him off of contact with the blonde. "Look, I'll protect you because it's my job, but I don't need any weird vampire lackey pretending to care about me. You can just save it, lady."

With widened eyes, Sookie replied indignantly, "It's Sookie actually, and I'm so sorry to hear you say that. I'm actually a pretty nice person, and aside from my disability I'm pretty normal. More importantly though, Eliot Spencer, I am most certainly not a lackey for anybody. I understand that Eric was harsh with you, but being as old as he is, he's a little set in his ways. Plus, I mean, he's a vampire," she said, stating the obvious as if that made it reasonable, "what did you expect, pep talks and high-fives?"

Feeling better about herself despite his insult, she continued, "There's really nothing going on between me and Eric either, no matter what he says. And I don't know if this will matter much at this point, but I know him well enough to be certain that he wouldn't have asked for you to stay with me if he didn't think you were good at whatever it is you do. You might want to look at the brighter side instead of being so angry that the scary vampire picked on you a little. He does that to almost everyone, you know, like sizing you up. You didn't back down, but still knew not to proceed when out-matched by an ancient vampire. Even if he won't admit it to you, you did well. Trust me."

Not wanting to break an extended olive branch, Eliot knew that Sookie's logic held true to his own experience. The Hitter was just reluctant to face the cocky ass who just embarrassed him again. "You're right, that was unprofessional of me. I'm sorry. You do seem like a nice lady. That guy just gives me the creeps, and that was before his vampire whammy," Eliot said, running his fingers through his beautiful mane of hair to help him regain his composure. "I don't think he did it full-strength though. You're right, it was just to prove a point I think. Let's just forget it because we need to get going before Parker does something crazy out of boredom. She looked way too excited to meet you, so don't be surprised by her… quirkiness. I'm really not sure what you should expect. She can be a little unpredictable."

"Sounds interesting, I suppose, but I'm good with weird." She winked at Eliot knowingly. He returned her genuine smile and blushed with a half-smile of his own before she continued, "Besides, Parker seemed so sweet. I can't wait to meet her. Let me just grab the stuff Pam got for me and tell your friend Hardison we'll be leaving now. It really has been a long night – more than a long night really." Sookie put her hand on the Hitter's well-developed arm and smiled at him in a way that beckoned an automatically sweet reply from the usually well-mannered Southern boy. Eliot answered dutifully, "Couldn't agree more, Sweetheart."

Eliot and Sookie walked back into the vampire bar in a much better mood than when they left. Pam raised an eyebrow at their sudden friendliness and stole a glance at her very annoyed Maker, knowing he would be looking at the little telepath; he always was. Loving an opportunity to tease Eric with the Sookie's innocent charms, Pam gave her the bag of clothes which the over-eager waitress immediately began to rummage through. Pam anticipated a big reaction regarding her purchases. She had picked these outfits in particular to complement Sookie's figure, and with Eric's taste in mind of course.

During this distracted time, Hardison approached Eliot to discreetly see if he was really okay or if the vampire's girl did some voodoo of her own. Eliot dismissed the Hacker's concerns quickly, knowing he was being observed by one or both of the vampires in the room. "So El, what is the deal with the girl? Is she one of those fangbangers or what?" Eliot, knowing full well that the vampires could hear their conversation, answered carefully and with purpose. "No, Sookie seems perfectly sweet, and she says there is nothing going on between them anyway."

Before Eliot had a chance to say anything further on the subject of the strange Southern woman, Sookie shrieked and held up an outfit that could only be described as scant. Sooke held the tiny, dark red spaghetti strapped dress out in front of her, as if picturing herself in it without seeing the feasibility. The vicarious mental image of the tan beauty in the mouth-watering garment was frenzy-inducing to the humans in the room, but caused the vampires' fangs to abruptly click down into place from arousal.

Since Hardison knew the least about vampires, his eyes widened to the point they hadn't since a week long Mountain Dew binge in 2001. In fear from his assumption that the giant vampire was about to bite Sookie, Hardison made a startled whimper. The Hacker was amazed at the small woman's bravery with the dangerous creature, watching with awe as she playfully swatted his stomach with no fear at all. "I'll take that as a compliment, Eric," Sookie said with no reservations.

After an appreciative glance over to the woman in question to see that she was in no danger, Hardison quirked an eyebrow to Eliot. "Yeah El, there's _nothing_ going on between them… nothing at all." Eliot grumbled lightly, but didn't understand why he would care that the sweet woman he just met was interested in these dangerous creatures. All he knew was that he wanted to protect her now - job or not.


	3. A Fairy Friend

********************** The Vampire Job *******************************

** ***************** Chapter 3 *****************************

Leaving Fangtasia in a hurry, Hardison drove quickly to escape what he had deemed to be the creepiest situation he had ever encountered. Noticing Eliot's sudden ease with the Vampire-friendly woman, Alec figured it would only be appropriate to better make her acquaintance too, especially since she would be staying with them for the foreseeable future.

Figuring her good side was the safest place to be with all these vampire admirers around, he asked, "So Sookie, are you just extra brave or something? How do their fangs not make you want to run away and hide in the nearest church?" Hardison rapidly rattled off his questions as soon as he checked the rearview mirror and saw they weren't being followed by any members of the undead, much to Eliot's amusement.

"Well, bravery is truly subjective, so I don't know how to determine that about myself. But to answer your other question, their fangs in general don't bother me unless they are trespassing in my neck without invitation. And for the sake of being well-informed, vampires have no issue with going into churches. I can guarantee that."

"How can you be sure? Some superstition is based in truth, you know?" he countered.

"Well," Sookie started awkwardly, "Eric and I were recently held captive by the Fellowship of the Sun. He didn't burst into flames or anything and they had him strapped to their altar. So I think I can assure you with some certainty that that one is untrue."

Hardison's eyes looked like they might pop out of his head as he glanced between the dark road in front of them and the strange woman sitting between him and the Hitter on the bench seat in the front of their van "Lucille". "Yeah, you're not brave at all," Hardison muttered sarcastically. "Most regular people are best friends with vampires and held hostage by religious zealots, not to mention whatever the pretty vampire lady was talking about that shredded your clothes."

"First of all, I am a regular person – mostly. And the clawed creature was a Maenad who attacked me on the side of the road one night. But you don't have to worry about that black-hearted bitch because she is _very_ dead." Upon hearing Sookie's cold tone, Hardison inched a little closer to the windows, welcoming the extra inch of space between them. "Hey, Mister, don't look act like that. In addition to attacking me with her nasty poisoned claws, she zombified my entire town into having a massive orgy on my front lawn before trying to sacrifice my boss for the second coming of her God. I don't want you to get the wrong idea though because I normally don't condone murder, but that bitch had it coming."

Eliot laughed and politely responded to Sookie's reignited irritation with him. "I'm truly sorry for laughing, but even with our bad introduction I can tell that you and I are going to get along very well."

"Not too well, I hope, El. Her 'friends' don't seem like the types who would take too kindly to that."

"No, it's not like that, Hardison," Sookie said insistently, wanting to quell those rumors before they found their way to Bill. It wouldn't due for her boyfriend/almost-fiancé to think she had been sleeping with Eric during his kidnapping. "Eric is… oh, I don't know how to explain him… That man infuriates me. He makes me want to slap his face every time I see him, but there is something else there, something more undefinable. Even after everything we went through together in Dallas, I know he is still a bastard but I like to think it's because he has to be. Well that and I think he enjoys it too."

"How did those crazy religious nuts manage to get him subdued like that? Sophie said he was extremely powerful even by normal vampire standards," Eliot asked with interest, assessing what measures he could employ for himself if need be when dealing with ancient vampires.

"Sophie is right. Eric is very strong and fast, more so than most because he's over a thousand years old. He was a Viking warrior actually, so fighting is just in his nature. They were really only able to get him bound with silver because he allowed it."

"Why the hell would he do that?" Eliot responded quickly out of complete shock.

"He traded himself for his Maker… and for me to go free," Sookie answered fluidly. "That's what I meant when I said he's an asshole, but he's an asshole with integrity - nasty dungeon torture chamber aside."

"Holy shit, he was serious about that. Good lord what have I gotten myself into with all of this supernatural hocus pocus!" Hardison exclaimed while Sookie and Eliot chuckled, both knowing he had only just touched the tip of what the human world perceived as the dangers around them. Vampires were certainly not the only scary things lurking in the darkness of the night.

"I know the Viking's bad qualities outweigh the good, but there is decency in him. I've seen it. He means well, just in his own messed up way. I wouldn't have helped him at all if I thought he was as deplorable as some of the vampires I've met."

"He didn't put you down there to get you to agree to work for him, did he?" Eliot asked her angrily.

"No," Sookie said quietly while deep in thought. "Well not exactly. He might as well have though. He had a friend of mine down there for committing a crime against the vampires, which I will not be talking about so don't ask. Anyway, Eric bartered my service for my friend's freedom. Of course I cannot overlook his deplorable treatment of my friend considering the poor guy was shot, starved, and fed on like a Thanksgiving turkey for two weeks, but there were some extenuating circumstances that made our arrangement the best option for all of us."

"I can't imagine risking my life to help someone who seems so evil and manipulative. No offense to you, Sookie," Eliot admitted.

"To be honest, in the end I was happy to go to Dallas since I got to meet Eric's Maker. He was simply amazing and I am very grateful for the time I knew him."

"What happened with him?" Hardison asked.

"I really shouldn't say. I'm sorry, but that is between me and Eric. No offense to either of you."

"So we're almost there and we thought there are some things you need to know about Parker before we arrive. First of all, she means well, but some folks think she's weird because her comments sometimes come out of nowhere. Secondly, she's a bit hyper and has a hard time concentrating unless it's about something she needs to steal. Please just meet her with an open mind."

Hardison's comments left Sookie slightly annoyed at the Hacker, Eliot could tell by the way she clenched her tiny fist when he said the Thief was "weird". "In my hometown I am known as 'Crazy Sookie', so she won't get a lick of judgment from me for any quirky behaviors. Like I told your associate earlier, I am good with people that are a little different. I can assure you that I will not take offense to anything she might say that is out of place. I actually cannot wait to meet her for some reason. Ever since I saw her on the monitor you hooked up, I couldn't help but think she looks real familiar to me."

"Well that's good because we're here, and Parker is the skinny blonde woman jumping up and down right over there," Eliot pointed out as Hardison parked in the spot they had been assigned by the hotel earlier.

Parker ran up to the van door and pulled Eliot out of the front seat, much to Hardison's confusion. The thief extended her hand to the other woman who looked as baffled as she did relieved by Parker's unusual behavior.

As Sookie stood next to the van, Parker hugged her tightly, practically sobbing into the other woman's hair. Catching herself from committing an even greater faux pas, Parker stepped back and the ladies silently regarded each other.

Eliot and Hardison did not speak for fear they were intruding on some kind of secret female bonding ritual they had never seen before. Neither blonde woman had spoken yet, simply standing there as if they were talking but without words.

What the men did not know was that Parker and Sookie were communicating telepathically. Parker's unusual quirk which caused her to speak out of turn or in response to things that didn't make sense was that she had not developed her shield like Sookie had. She simply latched on to the fleeting thoughts of others and accidentally responded to them.

'_I can't believe this. I knew you were like me as soon as I saw you. I couldn't wait to get you here. I would have popped over there and grabbed you, but too many vampires would not have been good for me since I can't mask my scent. I haven't met any other Fairies in decades. This is amazing. I can't…'_

'_Parker, hold on a second! What do you mean "Fairies"? I am a telepath, not Tinkerbell.'_

'_No, you have the Fairy spark just the same as I do. You are a hybrid like me, just to a lesser extent. I smell a little too edible to be around vampires with a weaker constitution. I guess you kind of got the best of both worlds since your spark is just as bright but you aren't vampire cat-nip. I wish I was like that cuz' I heard vampires are great in bed. Unfortunately I would never be able to find out unless I was suicidal, which I'm not no matter what you may have heard from my teammates on the way over here.'_

'_Holy moly, Parker, do you always talk so much? So fast? Having another telepath in my head is fairly new to me, so slow down a little please. Since I've only just recently met another telepath for the first time, I'll have to take your word on the Fairy factor… maybe you could answer some questions for me though… like the light that comes from my hands, what in the hell is that? And what did you mean by "popping" over to come to get me?'_

'_Yeah, I'll help you with whatever you need just as long as you have girl talk with me. I cannot tell you what a relief this is for me. These guys don't know what I am and I pretend that I don't know what they are in return, know what I mean?'_

'_I won't tell a soul about you or Eliot, though I haven't quite put my finger on what is different about Nate or Sophie yet.'_

'_Good, I'll let it be a surprise then. Since you know about Eliot though, care to help me have a little fun with him.'_

"Yeah, I'd love to have fun with Eliot," Sookie said and slammed her hand over her mouth as if that would help capture the sentence which just escaped. Eliot and Hardison seemed to snap out of their trance at that moment, as the hacker turned to the hitter who was already blushing like a fool. Ignoring the awkwardness, the men went to unload the rest of their bags and Parker led Sookie into the hotel. Hardison smirked as the two blondes disappeared behind the sliding glass doors hand in hand, already becoming fast friends by the look of things.

Noticing the look of longing on the hitter's face as he followed with Sookie's vampire-packed overnight bag, he grumbled nonsensically to himself without realizing Eliot could hear him anyway due to his enhanced abilities. "Oh damn, those vamps are going to kill us all cuz' Eliot can't keep from staring at that girl's ass... That crazy ass Viking's gonna have Eliot down in his dungeon faster than Sophie can grift a wallet out of some dude's pocket… Can't believe I'm in hot-as-hell Louisiana marching off to certain death because some cute blonde lost her vampire boyfriend to a gang of drug addict were-wolves." Hardison, catching his reflection in the window of the van, stated with conviction, "Bet you never thought you'd say a sentence like that without a headset in your ear for a mutli-player online role-playing game, did you?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Back at Fangtasia*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Perhaps you know an associate of mine, Mr. Ford, Mr. Cataliades?"

"We don't all know each other, Mr. Northman, and please call me Nate."

"Very well, Nate. You may call me Eric. I did not mean to be presumptuous, but since he also deals with antiquity in addition to his other legal services I thought you would have made his acquaintance given your former profession. Now on to more pressing matters concerning Ms. Stackhouse, I would like to address the issue I had with the muscle on your team.

"You see, when I said Sookie was special, I meant it. She is a telepath, and as such she was privy to his thoughts. They were hardly complimentary to either me or her based on her reaction, and that needs to cease immediately. I am fine if he remains though since the issue was not relevant to our safety. If it had been then I know she would have informed me of his duplicitous intentions."

"You trust her then?"

"Though I do not trust easily, least of all humans, she has earned my gratitude and an amount of trust that exceeds most others. You do not need to know the finer points of our unique association, but I have a lot of faith in that woman and that is more than I would usually admit to someone I just met. I am only speaking to you now about this sensitive subject because I understand you are bound to your silence on this matter. Her relevance to me is not something I want advertised so it might be used by an enemy against me or my Child. Nevertheless, I require everyone regard Sookie with respect. She can be a handful, but she is to be treated well regardless."

"By your interaction I could tell you want to claim her even though she smells of another. I assume that would be this boyfriend, Bill Compton, who we are here to find? I am surprised you are trying to find him at all since it seems it would be better for you to leave him to manage with whatever hand his fate has dealt."

"My reasons are my own," Eric stated with an air of finality.

"If you are not going to be forthcoming, we will not be able to help you. I need to see the whole story from all the angles to work it effectively so we get the job done and no one on my team gets hurt."

"Very well, Nate, but we will need your wi… Sophie since I require her services specifically. Besides, she owes me dearly and I think I will find the entertainment value of the conversation we are about to have with her will be a good place for her to start my recompense for the debacle she created with my Child all those years ago."

"I was wondering what happened with you three. I had followed Sophie for years trying to catch her and she never crossed paths with you that I knew of. How many years ago was it that she wronged you?"

"Much longer than you would think," Eric said with a smirk, winking at Nate as they went to find Sophie and Pam. Eric was excited, knowing Sophie had kept herself a mystery from her team and outing her for what she was would be a great start to paying off her debt to him and all the trouble she caused between the Viking and Mussolini.


End file.
